A mobile communication network is presently able to send SMS messages to and receive SMS messages from a plurality of different external communication networks. The communication of SMS messages between different mobile communications networks is made possible by utilizing the short message peer-to-peer protocol (SMPP) and SMPP gateway(s). However, due to the proliferation of SMS message use in communication networks, short message service centers (SMSCs) that exist in these networks frequently become overloaded. An SMSC is responsible for storing and forwarding SMS messages, conducting a prepaid/post paid analysis of the sender and/or recipient, generating queries of the home location register (HLR) to determine the mobile service center (MSC) serving the recipient party, and delivering SMS messages from external networks, for example as mobile terminated forward SM (MT_Forward_SM) messages. As an ever increasing number of subscribers begins to use SMS communications, the load on these SMSCs similarly increases.
To reduce the growing SMSC workload, some networks have tried to employ a first delivery attempt (FDA) service to alleviate a portion of the SMS traffic that is originated within the local network. FDA service involves delivering SMS messages to destinations without providing store and forward services where the message is stored until the destination is available and then delivered. FDA service can be implemented for SMS messages transmitted to or from machine destinations. For example, FDA service may be provided for SMS messages sent to voting applications or SMS messages transmitted from ad servers. Existing FDA services in telecommunication networks are configured (i.e., with software and hardware architectures) to process mobile originated forward short message (MO_Forward_SM or MO_FSM) messages that are generated by local MSCs that receive SMS messages from local network subscribers and to attempt to deliver those messages immediately without store and forward service.
In some networks, the FDA service is normally conducted by a server that is configured to receive and process mobile originated SMS (MO_SMS) messages. For each received MO_SMS message, the server normally accesses an HLR to determine if the intended recipient is a subscriber in the local network. If so, the server delivers the SMS message to the intended recipient without sending the message to the SMSC. By delivering the SMS messages to local recipients using FDA, the local SMSC is not accessed, and thus the SMSC workload is decreased. However, due to certain differences that exist in signaling protocols (e.g., SMPP vs. SS7), only mobile originated SMS messages are capable of having the FDA service applied. This network limitation poses problems because a considerable number of SMS messages processed within a local network are generated by external networks and are not mobile originated SMS messages. Therefore, SMS messages (e.g., contained in SMPP messages) received from external networks to be delivered to subscribers in the local network present a significant burden to the local network's SMSC.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing a first delivery attempt for SMPP messages.